from the take-it-back dept

Amazon recently debuted a new feature for its Ring cameras that the company is calling Throw Away the Key Encryption (TAKE). The idea is to cut back on the amount of video content available to the company, and thus potentially available to law enforcement. But while it might technically add a speed bump to accessing full video content, it doesn’t deliver nearly the level of privacy we should be demanding from video doorbells and other security cameras.

TAKE introduces a new way for Ring to manage encryption keys, where the user’s device has its key, then the company holds encryption keys temporarily within its own cloud infrastructure. Ring’s servers receive the keys temporarily so it can offer a variety of the features it says it can’t offer when a user chooses to use end-to-end encryption, like video descriptions, smart alerts, video search, and more, then deletes the key after 24 hours. 

This differs from how it works now, where footage is encrypted in transit and at rest, then decrypted by Ring, which always has access to the footage, to process those features. 

Comparatively, this is an improvement to the default settings Ring has now, because it at least puts some restrictions on historical footage, but it has some serious holes worth exploring.

Ring Gets Access to Unencrypted Video for a Short Period

Ring has designed its service so many of its camera features, including smart alerts and video search, need cloud processing to work. That means to provide those features, Ring needs to decrypt the footage while it’s stored in Ring’s cloud servers. 

With TAKE, in order to decrypt footage to offer these features, Ring gets access to footage stored in the cloud for 24 hours. TAKE adds some small measures using secure enclaves to make base key material harder to directly export, but keys are still released to services that can be modified. With access to the keys, the cloud processing does its thing and delivers the requested feature to the user. The key is then deleted 24 hours later—until the user wants to watch an old video or use other so-called “smart” features, at which point the keys are sent back to the server. 

In practice, that makes the system as a whole barely different from encryption at rest where the server holds the keys. The client device essentially takes the place of a hardware security module (HSM), including making those keys available to the server whenever they’re needed. The end result is an improvement from the status quo, but still not even close to the privacy protections of end-to-end encryption. 

The company says it does not keep backups of the keys and there’s no way for a Ring employee to access footage. It also claims that any decrypted content is deleted from its servers. 

But that doesn’t mean much when user actions send the keys back to the server. And making features like “Video Search” and “Smart Video Descriptions” available to the device owner means that while the footage can’t be seen by Ring, descriptions are readily available to the company. In response to a question about capability, Ring responded to us that, “As Ring continues to expand and further strengthen TAKE’s protections, video descriptions will be included.”

Plus, account recovery keys are stored in the camera itself by default. When that’s paired with the fact that currently, indices of video contents are available to the company, it means that TAKE isn’t even a protection against mass surveillance. Law enforcement could request a mass search across cameras for certain terms, then delve into further details by seizing cameras of interest from the device-owner, decrypting account backups, and using that information to decrypt encrypted videos. 

Law Enforcement May Still Seek to Compel Access to Footage

Because of the ways the access and key rotations work, it’s technically still possible for Ring to alter its current practice if compelled to do so by law enforcement, in much the same way as other existing encryption-at-rest systems where the company holds the keys. For example, Ring could receive an order that demands they save content encryption keys or unencrypted videos from memory to disk, which would mean they’d retain some level of access. 

In an email to EFF, Ring stated, “By design, under TAKE, Ring will not be able to provide encryption keys or decrypted content. With TAKE, Ring will only preserve and provide encrypted video files in response to valid legal process. It has been and continues to be Ring’s policy to object to overbroad legal requests.” EFF specifically asked about the possibility of complying with law enforcement orders to modify existing practice to turn over or preserve unencrypted video, which appears to be technically possible, but the company did not address it.

End-to-end encryption works to maintain trust by its user base because the company that employs it never has access to the keys at any point, making it impossible for itself to access the encrypted contents. This also means law enforcement can’t demand the service retain keys or choose not to rotate them. As described, this level of protection isn’t offered with TAKE.

Ultimately, Ring is the one managing this software and its implementation, and beyond a white paper, “trust us” is the only level of verification they’re offering outside observers. While it doesn’t fix the issues, at the bare minimum, the company needs to open the entire infrastructure up to third-party auditors to verify its claims. Ring seems to agree, as they told us that, “Ring conducts rigorous security reviews of all products before launch and critical components of TAKE’s infrastructure underwent independent security testing prior to launch. We are exploring options for further independent review.”

TAKE is not end-to-end encryption, where Ring would never have access to the keys, and the company thankfully doesn’t claim it as such. Ring already offers the option for end-to-end encryption, and turning that on by default would offer the real sorts of privacy improvements we all want from video doorbells. 

Republished from the EFF’s Deeplinks blog.

Filed Under: doorbells, encryption, surveillance

Companies: amazon, ring

GM has cleared up confusion over its CarPlay plans, confirming that its EV lineup will remain off-limits to Apple’s in-car interface.

GM hasn’t offered CarPlay in electric vehicles for three years, and apparently it’s not planning on starting anytime soon. There was a bit of confusion earlier after it was learned that the company would keep CarPlay for its gas-powered 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks.

GM confirmed its plans to Joanna Stern.

Apple is allegedly part of the retention as far as GM’s gas-powered vehicles are concerned.

It’s an interesting move by the company, which has stood firm in spite of notable public backlash. Rather than include CarPlay, GM would use an in-house infotainment system built on Android Automotive OS.

The company initially called the decision “Jobsian,” claiming that this was a win for privacy. However, what it really did was make a move to own the digital relationship with its customers.

The accidental CarPlay experiment

GM has performed an unintentional A/B test with the Chevy Blazer EV and Honda Prologue EV. The two vehicles share the same GM-developed platform and much of the same underlying technology.

They also differ in several key ways, notably that the Honda has CarPlay and the Chevy does not. The CarPlay-equipped Prologue outsold the Blazer by 43% in 2024, 73% in 2025, and more than 165% in the first half of 2026.

CarPlay isn’t the only variable: the Prologue also has a lower MSRP, and factors like incentives and brand loyalty can affect sales. Still, the widening sales gap between two closely related vehicles suggests GM’s decision to remove CarPlay may have contributed to weaker Blazer EV sales.

For Stuart Fails to Save the Universe viewers who have been waiting for things to feel exactly like The Big Bang Theory… your moment has arrived.

Sure, we’ve had a whole host of cameos from the original show (though three notable faces have yet to turn up), but zipping from unhinged universe to unhinged universe has been a world away from the science sitcom we know and love.

Here’s how to know whether it’s cause for concern.

Why does my laptop sound like a jet engine?

Nomads Image Lab/Shutterstock

Is it okay to use a laptop with a noisy fan?

Maldives-art/Shutterstock

How can I make my laptop fan quieter?

Sezer66/Getty Images

Sunday night, users of Meta’s AI assistant Muse started getting a strange error message when they tried to buy goods on Amazon. As spotted by GeekWire, the error message read: “Continued access by an unauthorized AI agent violates Amazon’s Conditions of Use, to which our customers have agreed.”

In other words, Muse isn’t welcome as a shopper — and anyone trying to buy something on Amazon through the AI agent will have to find it somewhere else.

It’s easy to see the block as a tête-à-tête between tech giants. Amazon has its own cohort of foundation models, after all, along with one of the most popular inference platforms on the internet. As long as they’re under no legal obligation to open the doors to Muse, why would they?

But there are also substantive reasons Amazon might not want to be in the agentic commerce business just yet. If Muse makes a bad order, Amazon is going to be the one to clean it up — dealing with both the angry customer and the angry vendor. Muse has one of the lower hallucination rates, as AI models go, but it’s still pretty far from zero. Even if Amazon sees an opportunity in agent-driven commerce, they may want to wait a few more release cycles before rolling anything out.

OPPO has launched the K14 Lite in India, adding a new budget option to its K Series lineup. The smartphone focuses on long battery life, smooth everyday use, and a bright display. It packs a 7,000mAh battery and a 120Hz display, along with the Unisoc T7250 processor. The K14 Lite also brings IP64 protection, reverse charging, and several AI-powered camera features.

OPPO K14 Lite Specifications and Features

Battery life is one of the OPPO K14 Lite’s main highlights. It carries a 7,000mAh battery designed to last through long daily use. OPPO says the battery retains over 80% capacity after 1,800 charging cycles. It can reportedly deliver up to 26.84 hours of YouTube playback. PUBG Mobile gaming can run for 13.19 hours. The phone supports 15W charging and reverse wired charging for other compatible devices. It runs on the Unisoc T7250 octa-core processor with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM. The phone also gets 64GB UFS 2.2 storage and a 13,700 mm² graphite cooling area.

For viewing, the K14 Lite features a 17.15cm HD+ LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display reaches up to 900 nits of peak brightness for clearer outdoor viewing. OPPO also adds Splash Touch, Oily-Hand Touch, and Glove Touch support. The device comes with a 13 MP autofocus rear camera and a 5 MP front camera. Users can choose Portrait mode, Night mode, and Time-lapse mode for different photo styles. The phone also has AI Eraser, AI Clear Face, and AI Smart Image Matting 2.0. This phone is splash-proof and dustproof, with an IP64 certification. It also has an attractive Feather Textured Finish.

Price and Availability in India

OPPO has released its new phone, K14 Lite, in India starting at Rs 16,999. This price holds for the 4GB + 64GB storage option. Customers will get an instant discount of Rs 1,000 through the selected banking offers. Thus, the effective price becomes Rs 15,999. The offer includes a 3-month No-Cost EMI. It is available on the OPPO e-store and Flipkart in Stone Brown and Feather Purple.and Flipkart in Stone Brown and Feather Purple.

I was not able to test the AI failure detection, as none of my 30-plus prints failed (aside from a couple of mismeasurements on my end), but I did have occasion to view through the 1080p camera—if you download the free Bambu Handy app, it will store a little time-lapse video of your object being printed, which is fascinating to watch.

In Living Color

The “Combo” in the name refers to the Automatic Material System (AMS) that sits on top of the printer. (You can also buy it separately at $299.) It holds four spools of filament that auto-feed to your project—a game changer if you’re printing something with multiple colors. Without it, a multicolor print would necessitate stopping the print, removing the spool of filament, and installing a new one on the side. For the P2S, the AMS also has the ability to dry the filament—this removes any absorbed ambient moisture that would create steam when heated and mess up your print.

The AMS add-on allows for seamless multicolor prints.

Photograph: Kat Merck

I tested the P2S on the West Coast in late summer, when the humidity was very low, so my filament stayed below 40 percent relative humidity, according to the built-in hygrometer—it didn’t need drying. However, if you live in a humid region, springing for the AMS will be a massive time-saver.

With the P1S, if you needed to swap out a different nozzle, it was something of an ordeal—you basically have to unplug everything and take apart the assembly with screws. On the P2S, the front of the nozzle head is magnetic and pops right off—simply unclip the old nozzle and clip in the new one. Another massive improvement if you find yourself swapping nozzles often.

The P1S’s automatic nozzle cleaning function that “poops” filament blobs out the back of the machine is still in effect on the P2S. I’d been warned, but I was still surprised to see the amount of detritus it left on the floor, especially during multi-color prints. I highly recommend that a “poop chute” or collection basket be one of your first prints. (And there are plenty of fun designs for using the waste filament blobs once they’ve accumulated, from creative games to a “poop Atlas” filament waste world map.)

Do You Really Need One?

Yes, unless you need a dual-nozzle printer or a commercial-grade unit that can also laser cut and engrave—features this printer doesn’t offer. The ability to print and customize useful household and garage objects, art projects, and toys easily and quickly—with minimal fuss—makes the P2S worth every penny. This is doubly so if you have some basic engineering skills, as importing files into Bambu Studio is a cinch.

Bambu Lab-brand filaments start at about $15 a roll with spool. Note that we flagged some app inconsistencies when using non-Bambu filaments with the P1S, but I did not have any non-Bambu filaments on hand to test in the P2S, so I can’t vouch for whether this issue has been fixed.